How do newly chreated characters / new players supposed to progress naturually

[Renvalt]

There's also the issue of Chimera and Hydra needing i52 average on your character to even queue up for the fights. And as you HAVE to do those for your relic, you're pretty much gated until you get out of your basic HQ jewelry (yes, accessories do play a role in determining your average ilvl).

However, I think it's also a good incentive for new players to pick up crafting/gathering early on to AT LEAST help support their accessory/weapon/food needs (FSH/CUL/MIN/GSM and one other). People always say "Oh, it's too expensive, you'll never afford all the mats", well... 'tis your own damned fault for wanting an easy road to 50.

And besides, all those "worthless mats" in the 4-mans that you ignore and demeaned has spread to T1-4... except this time, they ain't useless to roll on. I should know - I was part of a T4 farm group earlier, and they weren't there for the gear; they wanted the Ores and stuff.

[MrLeonheart]

And besides, all those "worthless mats" in the 4-mans that you ignore and demeaned has spread to T1-4... except this time, they ain't useless to roll on. I should know - I was part of a T4 farm group earlier, and they weren't there for the gear; they wanted the Ores and stuff.

The key difference between the Allagan crafting mats and the other stuff is that the Allagan mats drop in addition to the regular gear drops, not in place of. Frankly, if that's how it worked for the regular dungeons as well I doubt people would complain as much. I know I'd be a whole lot happier about running dungeons if that were the case.